The Undercover Wedding Planner
by breakaleg27
Summary: Ned has tried his best to move on after his messy breakup with Nancy and is about to get married. Little does he know that Nancy is undercover as his wedding planner! What will come out of the awkward moments, good memories, and old feelings? WINDMILLWIZ-
1. Chapter 1

Summary: Ned has tried his best to move on after his messy breakup with Nancy and is about to get married

**Summary: **Ned has tried his best to move on after his messy breakup with Nancy and is about to get married. Little does he know that Nancy is undercover as his wedding planner! What will come out of the awkward moments, good memories, and old feelings?

**Chapter 1**

Nancy walked through the doors of her temporary office. She had gone undercover many times, but never was it this much fun. Bess worked full time with the wedding planning company and was luckily able to get Nancy a short term job.

"Hey Nan! You have a new client coming in at 11. The woman sounds like an airhead, so be prepared. She's a cheerleader for the Chicago Bears." Bess greeted her.

Nancy rolled her eyes and groaned. "Just my luck." She responded. "I better go get ready. That appointment's in 15 minutes."

Bess laughed. "You'll be fine, Nance. Good Luck!" She called after Nancy.

Nancy rushed to her desk. Not only did she want to get ready for her client, she also wanted to investigate the building. Nancy had yet to find a clue, and was frustrated.

10 minutes later, Nancy had set up everything for her new client and decided to make the most out of her 5 minutes. She ran down the hallway heading for one of the closets on the first floor. Suddenly, she bumped into someone.

"Oh my goodness! Are you okay?" Nancy exclaimed, struggling to pick up the papers that he had dropped. Finally realizing who it was, Nancy gasped. "Ned."

Ned smiled tentatively. "Nancy….I uh, haven't seen you in a while."

Nancy felt tears well up in her eyes, but ignored them. "Yeah." She said softly. "Are you getting um, married?"

"Yeah." He said looking away. "You must be too. Who's your fi-fiancé?"

Nancy tried to laugh softly. "I'm not getting married. I don't even have a boyfriend."

"Oh." Ned responded, looking relieved for some reason. "So why are you here?"

Nancy looked around. She knew she could trust Ned. "I'm actually…undercover." She said in a low voice.

Ned chuckled "I should have known," he teased "So um…do you know Nikki Lester? She's our wedding planner.

Nancy could feel the blood draining from her face. "Oh god," she said softly. "I'm your wedding planner. I used a fake name because almost everyone around here knows me."

Ned sighed. "Oh. Well I guess we should just make the best of it, don't you think so? I mean I have really missed you, Nan. Maybe we can be…good friends?" he said in a soft voice.

"Yeah," Nancy replied. "I've mi-missed you too, Ned." She tried hard not to let him see how much she was hurting. Nancy didn't want to be just friends with Ned; she wanted things to go back to the way they used to be. She took a deep breath. "Well, our appointment started about 5 minutes ago, so…"

"Oh, shot! Gab is going to kill me!" Ned groaned. "We better go."

The pair rushed down the hallway and into Nancy's office. "Ned! I told you to be back 5 minutes ago! Thankfully the planner is late. I wouldn't want her to think…" she trailed off as she realized that Nancy was right behind Ned.

Nancy smiled tightly. "Hi, you must be Gabriella Kindle. I'm Nikki Lester, your wedding planner." She said in the kindest voice she could. "Oh, and don't blame Ned. He and I went to high school together and I was chatting with him…and well I completely lost time. I'm so sorry."

Gabriella gave a sugary sweet smile that almost made Nancy gag. "Please do not worry about it. When I called, the desk said you were one of the best wedding planners in town. I was thrilled when they told me you had an opening." She responded.

Ned caught Nancy's eye and smirked. "Nan-Nikki sure is the best in the business. Very organized and controlling, Gabby. She was the one who everyone listened to." He teased; hopping that Gabriella hadn't caught his slip up.

Unfortunately, she did and asked, "Why did you call her the wrong name, Ned?"

"Um, Nan was an old nickname between us. She uh, used to be my little sister's nanny during the summer, so I called her Nan to annoy her." Ned explained, holding his breath. Then he realized that Gabriella wouldn't catch on to his little fib. She wasn't…smart to say the least.

Nancy mockingly glared at Ned, and sat down. "So, first things first. How many people do you want to have?" Nancy asked, going through the basics that Bess had taught her.

Gabriella spoke up quickly. "I want a huge wedding. I'm thinking about maybe 600 people. What do you think, hon?"

Ned looked nervous "Um, I kinda wanted a small wedding babe. Is that okay?"

Nancy cringed when he said babe, but tried to ignore it.

"Well, I guess so, but can we compromise? How about 300 people? You are famous you know." Gabriella said in a fake voice.

Nancy decided that it was time to but in. "Well, what about a color theme? Any ideas?"

"Pink and purple." Gabriella responded immediately.

Ned groaned. "Gabs, I am _not _having a pink and purple themed wedding. I'm a football player, not a ballerina."

Nancy tried not to laugh, but somehow a giggle managed to escape. That was the Ned she knew and loved- _what was she thinking?_ She didn't love Ned anymore…did she?

He gave Nancy a playful glare while Gabriella rubbed Ned's arm and Nancy rolled her eyes. "Come on babe…please?" she purred

Ned sighed. "Fine for now, but Nikki, can we change it later?"

Nancy shook her head is dismay. How did Gabriella do that? In the 5 years he and Nancy had dated, never had she been able to get Ned to give in to her. He was one of the most stubborn people she knew. And besides the Ned she knew would _never_ wear pink or purple if his life depended on it.

"As long as I know at least a week before the wedding, you can change your mind." Nancy told Ned. "But I can't imagine why you would want a pink and purple wedding."

Gabriella looked annoyed. "Well, Nikki, if you're so opposed to my ideas, why don't you tell us what you think we should do?"

"Well, you're both involved with the Chicago Bears, and I'm sure you're going to invite a lot of people from the organization right?" Nancy asked.

Ned nodded. "Yeah, what are you getting at Na-Nikki?" he had slipped up again.

Nancy looked over at him and mouthed _Be Careful_, before turning back to Gabriella. "Well why don't you use the Bear's colors? We could tone the colors down a bit, so it's more of a peach and light blue. We could even add in a little bit of pink." She told her.

Ned nodded vigorously. "I love that idea Nikki! How about it, Gabby? Please?"

"Fine" Gabriella grumbled.

Nancy turned back to the computer and proceeded on with her job. Finally there was only one piece of business left.

"What would you like your song to be?" Nancy asked.

Gabriella jumped to answer the question. "I was thinking _My Best Friend by Tim McGraw_, since Ned and I are best friends and all-"

Ned cut her off. "No, no, no. We are _not_ doing that song." He snapped at her.

Nancy was taken back. Was it because…

"Why not? I love that song!" Gabriella nearly shouted.

Ned looked straight into Nancy's eyes. "That was me and my high school sweetheart's song. We can't use it." He said softly.

Nancy felt tears well up in her eyes and quickly brushed them away.

"You never told me about your high school sweetheart! I thought I was your one true love! Now tell me, what is her name?" Gabriella said angrily.

"Me." Whispered Nancy without thinking.

Gabriella threw down her notebook and stood up. "What?! Ned Nickerson, I can't believe you didn't tell me that our wedding planner was your ex-girlfriend! In fact it seems like you care about her more than you care about me!" she yelled.

Ned stood up to comfort her. "Now come on Gabriella. You know that is not true."

Nancy sighed. She wished that it was true, but now she knew that it never would be.

Gabriella seemed to relax a little. "Fine, but we are going to have a talk when we get to my house," she said in an angered tone. "Nikki, I will call and make an appointment. Bye."

Nikki walked out of the door and Ned followed. Before leaving, he gave her a sad look and said "Bye Nan. I'll see you soon."

They walked down the hallway and Nancy sunk back into her chair and cried for a long time wishing that Ned was there to comfort her.

**Author Note: **Here is the first chapter of my new story! I hope you like it!

Please review! Oh, and don't worry, it will turn out to be a Ned/Nancy story! 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 **

Nancy managed to drag herself out of bed the next morning and get ready for work. She wanted to get into the office early so that she could investigate since she didn't get around to it yesterday. Nancy hopped that she wouldn't have a client today.

"Hey Nance!" Bess greeted her cheerfully when Nancy walked in.

"Hi Bess. Do I have any clients today?" Nancy asked quietly. She was still upset from yesterday's events, but tried not to show it.

Bess looked on the computer. "Yeah, it's that Gabriella Kindle girl again. How was she?"

Tears filled Nancy's eyes again and she looked down. "Nan, what's wrong?" Bess asked.

"Ned's her fiancé." Nancy said softly. "But it's fine. I'm going to look for some clues or evidence or something. I'll see you later. Don't work to hard!" she finished, trying her best to act cheerful.

Bess looked sympathetic. "Okay Nancy. Give me a call if you need anything."

Nancy nodded and walked down to the closet that she never got to investigate yesterday, but yet again she was distracted. "Ned?" she called down the hallway.

Ned waved. He was standing in front of her office looking as handsome as ever. "Hi Nan. Um, I just wanted to talk to you before our appointment today."

Nancy smiled "Oh, okay. I thought I was late again." She said playfully.

They went into her office and sat down. Ned was the first to speak. "Nancy I just want to apologize for yesterday. Gabriella was out of line on some things and I said a lot that I didn't mean."" He told her gently.

Nancy was surprised. She was not expecting this. She had thought that maybe Gabriella had forced him into changing the color scheme back to pink and purple.

"Ned, you didn't do anything wrong. I probably shouldn't have butted in like I did. I don't know if you remember but…I don't really get along with cheerleaders." She responded playfully.

Ned laughed, but shook his head. "Nancy, I said that you weren't as important as Gabriella, and that isn't true. I care about you a lot, and I really want to be good friends with you."

"Ned, it's okay. I know you love her more than me. We broke up for a reason, and you found someone better-"

Ned cut her off "No Nancy, I didn't find someone better. I still lo- never mind." He flushed and turned away. "I probably should go."

Just when Ned was about to stand up Nancy said, "Wait Ned, what were you going to say?" she asked tentatively.

"Nancy, it was nothing. I shouldn't have came here. I'm sorry."

Nancy slammed her hands on the table. "I always hated it when you did that. You would start saying something and then wouldn't finish it. For all I know you could have been saying that you never wanted to see me again in your life." She yelled.

Now Ned looked irritated. "And I always hated it when you put words in my mouth. For your information I was about to say that I still _love_ you!" Ned yelled back. Then realizing what he said, his eyes went wide and his face flushed. "I really have to go. I'll see you later, Nancy."

Ned stood up and walked out of the door right as Nancy called "I still love you too."

NDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDN

15 minutes before Nancy's appointment with Ned and Gabriella, she was reviewing what she knew about the case so far. It wasn't much, and Nancy knew she had to be missing something.

_**The Wedding Embezzler**_

_Money is stolen each week, for the past 6 weeks, a week before a wedding._

_The amount of money taken out of the account differs- there is no pattern_

_Money is only embezzled ONCE a week no matter how many weddings there are- again there is no pattern_

She groaned. The only thing Nancy was concerned about now was that Ned didn't hate her. After he left she realized that since they would never be able to be a couple again, she should take advantage of his offer and become friends with him.

After 5 more minutes of staring at her notes, someone knocked on her door. It was Gabriella and Ned.

"Hello!" Nancy greeted them. "Have a seat and we'll get to work."

Gabriella rolled her eyes "Nikki, I'm not at all happy with our wedding plans so far." She said meanly.

Nancy stopped herself from responding to that remark. "Okay, well what dare you not happy with?" she asked.

"Well, for starters, the desk said you are one of the best in the business and I am not at all happy with your work so far." Gabriella said in a stuck up voice.

Nancy rolled her eyes at Ned, and he chuckled. "What is so funny, babe?" Gabriella snapped.

Ned sighed. "Come on Gab, let's not go through this again. I was just remembering something about high school. No big deal."

"Oh, about your _high school sweetheart_? Why don't you just marry her Ned? It sure seems like you want to!" Gabriella yelled.

_Yep, I would love to marry Nancy_. Ned thought. Then he stopped himself from thinking about Nancy and turned back to Gabriella. "Gabriella, you know I love you, so why are you acting like this?" he said. "Nancy is a very good friend, and what happened in high school is in the past." he finished, not believing a word he said.

Meanwhile, Nancy's heart was breaking. _Why do I have to love him so much? _She thought. "Guys, why don't we finish up here? I have another client in an hour-"

Gabriella cut her off "I'm leaving! As of right now Ned Nickerson and I are _not_ getting married, and it's all your fault Nikki!" she yelled before storming out of the room.

Ned stayed put, his head between his hands. "You better go after her Ned. I know you love her." Nancy said softly, faking a smile. "And if she doesn't forgive you, she doesn't know what she's missing. I'm so sorry that I caused all of this."

Ned stood up and gave Nancy a loose hug. Sparks flew and they both didn't want the moment to end. Ned reluctantly pulled away and said, "Thanks Nancy. This wasn't your fault so don't worry about it. I'll see you around." He bent down and gave her a light kiss on the lips.

Nancy smiled and waved goodbye. Maybe, _just maybe_, after this whole ordeal was over, he could be hers.

**Author Note: **I don't really like how this turned out, but I decided to post it anyway. Please review!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Nancy went home after the day of festivities. She was exhausted. Not only did she witness a yelling match, she also hunted around the building until she found a clue. As it turned out, the clue was right under her nose the whole time. She finally realized that the money was stolen from one of the weddings, usually the biggest, and the first weekend of each month. It was always 1 week before the big day.

She sat down and pondered about everything that had happened that day, including Ned. Suddenly the doorbell rang. She looked out the window and saw Ned.

Nancy opened the door. "Hi Ned, um do you want to come in?"

Ned smiled "Yeah, if you don't mind."

They walked inside and sat down on opposite ends of the couch. "So, do you want a list of everything that needs to be done for your wedding or something?" Nancy asked softly.

Ned looked up at Nancy. "No actually I came by to talk to you about….things. Um, Gabriella and I aren't going to get married. I broke off the engagement after our meeting with you."

"Oh, Ned," Nancy whispered "I am so sorry. That is all my fault."

Ned scooted closer to Nancy on the couch. "No it's not, Nancy. Gabriella always blows up like that, and I didn't want to be in a relationship like that. She apologized to me, but I realized that I don't love her like I thought I did. She thinks that she can use her good looks to fix everything, and she can't. I'm sorry for making you put up with that." He chuckled. "You're not even a real wedding planner."

Nancy giggled. "Yeah, I will be at the rate I'm going though. I have almost no idea who could be behind the stolen money."

"Embezzlement, right? So the person stealing the money works in the company?" Ned asked.

Nancy sighed. "I'm not even sure anymore. It could be anyone for all I know!"

Ned put his hand on her shoulder. "I'll help you figure it out Nan, if you want me to"

"Really?" Nancy asked hopefully. "That would be great!"

"Sure. It'll give me more time to spend with you." He said softly.

Nancy blushed and put her hand on Ned's. "I'd like that, Nickerson."

They sat there gazing into each other's eyes for a few minutes, when finally Nancy broke away. "Um, I should probably get to work on the case."

Ned smirked. "You haven't changed at all, Nan, have you? Still can't think of anything else while you're on a case, huh?" He teased.

Nancy felt her face flush. "Trust me Ned, I've been to distracted by you the past 2 days to even think about the case." She blurted out. Her hand went to her mouth and her face turned bright red. She couldn't believe she just said that out loud.

Ned chuckled. "And you still can't keep your mouth shut when it comes to me." He said playfully. "Seriously though, it's uh, nice to know that I was on you mind."

"Yeah, well…um, can you help me with my notes now?" Nancy asked, clearly embarrassed.

"Sure. What do you have so far." He asked.

"Well, not much…" Nancy trailed off as they got to work.

5 hours later, they still hadn't figured anything else out besides the fact that there wasn't really a pattern in the theft. Still, Nancy was happier than she had been in weeks. It was almost like old times.

NDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDN

Gabriella stormed up to "Nikki's" office, knowing she would find Ned there. She burst through the doors to find Ned on the computer and Nikki on the floor sorting through notes of some kind.

Nancy looked up and quickly cleaned up her papers and Ned looked uneasy.

"What are you doing here, Ned?" Gabriella asked accusingly.

"Visiting Nancy. What is your excuse?" Ned snapped back, looking annoyed.

Gabriella plastered a fake smile on her face. "I came to apologize. And I heard that Nikki was working on a really neat project."

"Well, we are not getting back together, so why don't you leave?" Ned said in the kindest voice he could muster.

"Fine, but-"

Ned cut her off. "Gab, it's over between us. Please leave."

Gabriella frowned and stomped out of the room. Nancy jumped up and closed the door. "Thanks for handling her Ned, but what do you think she meant by my _neat project_?"

Ned shrugged and responded. "I wouldn't worry about it Nan. She can't possibly know anything."

Nancy shrugged it off and went back to work. She couldn't help but wonder if Gabriella could somehow be involved in this mess.

**Author Note:** Sorry this is such a quick chapter! I wanted to post something and I thought that this told what needed to be said. Please review!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

The next morning, Nancy woke up to the smell of pancakes and bacon. Confused and surprised, she trotted down stairs and found Ned in the kitchen with an apron on. Nancy didn't know what sight to be more surprised at; Ned in her house at 8 o'clock in the morning or Ned in a frilly old lady apron. Never-the-less, she burst out laughing.

"What's so funny, Nancy?" He asked with a mock serious look on his face.

"You—in –a –pink –lacy -apron!!" she exclaimed between laughs.

Finally, Ned cracked. He laughed and took the apron off. "Jeez, I'll never do anything nice for you again if all you do is laugh at me!" he teased.

Nancy finally stopped laughing, her sides hurting, and her eyes watering. "So Nickerson, how did you get in here?"

Ned playfully rolled his eyes. "Nance, I hung around with you for 5 years and then some. Don't you think I would have learned how to pick a lock by now?"

"Come on Nickerson, you would have never broken into my apartment. I know you too well." Nancy retorted.

Ned sighed dramatically. "Fine, you caught me. I used the spare key you leave under your mat when you didn't answer the doorbell."

Nancy laughed. "Well, it was very nice of you, but you really didn't have to do this."

"I know, but I wanted to do a little something for you. You know like how I used to." He said quietly, blushing.

Nancy felt a wave of courage come over her. She walked over to Ned and gave him a hug. "Thanks." She whispered. They gazed deep into each other's eyes and leaned in. Just as their lips were about to touch, the smoke alarm went off. Ned jumped away and yelled "Shot! The bacon!" He groaned and rushed to retrieve the burnt bacon, and Nancy chuckled.

"We always get interrupted like that." She said.

Ned smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, we do. Now do you think you could help me fix breakfast? You always were the better cook. Remember that French cooking class we took together?"

Nancy went over to help him. "Yes. I remember it like it was yesterday. You were so jealous of that chef-"

Ned cut her off. "Oh, yeah like you haven't been jealous before." He teased.

Nancy looked down. "Ned, um, do you remember when you came in before your second wedding planning meeting with me and you said that uh, you still…" she trailed off.

"Love you?" Ned finished for her in a whisper. "I meant it."

Tears filled Nancy's eyes. "Ned…I-"

She was cut off by the ringing of his cell phone. They both groaned. At this rate, they were never going to sort out their feelings.

Nancy finished breakfast, while Ned answered the call. She couldn't help but notice how pale his face was getting. He finally hung up and looked at Nancy.

"Nan, you know how I gave Bess the check for part of my wedding?" Ned asked.

"Yeah," Nancy said slowly. She didn't like where this was going.

"It's gone." He said bluntly. "Bess went to take it out of the bank today since Gabriella and I aren't getting married and it was stolen."

Nancy sighed. She was back to square one. It wasn't the week before the wedding, and it wasn't the final payment. "Ned, I am so sorry. Was it a huge amount?"

Ned shook his head. "It was only the cost for the flowers, and it's not like I'm struggling for money, but it completely blows our idea out. It doesn't go with the pattern."

"I know." Nancy said. "I have to get into my office. Bess is probably a wreck. She gets so flustered and upset."

Ned nodded. "I would come, but I have a game at 3 today. I really can't miss it."

Nancy completely understood, but still wished he could come with her. "That's fine Ned. Don't worry about it. Can you pick me up after the game?"

"Sure Nan. But before I go…do you remember what I used to do for good luck before my games?" Ned asked shyly.

Nancy was confused. He couldn't mean what she thought he meant…could he?

He came closer to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. Nancy's instinctively went up around his neck. They leaned in and their lips met in a sweet, lingering kiss. Nancy reluctantly pulled back and gave him a little smile.

"I'll see you later, Ned." She pecked his cheek. "We um, should talk about…you know…"

He nodded and then grinned. "Yeah. Thanks for the good luck kiss."

Nancy blushed. "Anytime, Nickerson."

They smiled at each other, and Nancy knew that they would have _many _good luck kisses in the future.

**Author Note: **Read and Review! I hope you are enjoying the story so far! I'm thinking I'll finish it in about 2 more chapters. Keep a look out for updates!**  
**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Nancy was frustrated with the case, but she couldn't help but feel ecstatic. Ned and she were becoming very good friends, if not something more, and Gabriella was out of the picture. Or so Nancy thought.

Ned picked Nancy up after his game glowing with excitement. He was the quarterback for the Chicago Bears and had thrown the game winning touchdown. Nancy was happy for him and suggested that they go out to the local diner to celebrate and discuss the case.

The pair had a great time at the diner and even made some progress on the case.

_**Missing Wedding Money**_

_Taken on the first weekend of each month _

_The wedding that the money is stolen from is planned for a week later _

_(EXCEPT FOR NED AND GABRIELLA'S WEDDING!)_

_**SUSPECTS**__: _

_All Clients_

_Employees _

_Maintenance Workers_

_Secretaries_

_Rival Companies (Weddings 'R Us)_

So it wasn't much, but it was a start. Nancy was relieved that she had different angles to check out, and even happier that Ned was there to help her out.

NDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDN

Ned snuck into Nancy's office after his morning practice to find her immersed in her work. It looked as though she putting finishing touches on a wedding, but Ned knew better. She was really trying to figure out the case.

Ned tiptoed behind Nancy and put his hands over her eyes. Nancy jumped and tried to pull his hands off, while Ned said "Guess who!"

Nancy laughed and relaxed. "Hmm, that's a hard one…Bess?" She teased.

"Guess again…think incredibly handsome, smart, and sweet…" he trailed off playfully.

"Gosh, I would say Ned, but he's none of those things…"

"What?" Ned exclaimed, taking his hands away. "Drew, you are not getting away with that one."

Nancy giggled and pecked his cheek. "Oh, really? Well, what are you going to do about it Nickerson?"

"I'm thinking…dinner tonight and a chat about…..stuff." Ned responded.

"You're on Nickerson, but first I need to work on this case. It's driving me crazy! Not only are my ideas not panning out, I can't concentrate." Nancy whined.

"Why can't you concentrate, Nan? Am I that handsome that you can't stop gazing at me?" Ned teased.

Nancy rolled her eyes. "Dream on, Ned. Now help me out here or neither of us are going to dinner tonight."

NDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDN

5 hours later, Nancy and Ned were no closer to finding out who was behind the wedding money theft.

"Nan, can we _please_ take a break?" Ned asked

"Ned, I can't stop now! I have to finish up this case soon! I don't have time for ….never mind" Nancy said looking down.

"You don't have time for me is what you meant, right? I get it Nancy." Ned said in a whisper. "You know, a few minutes ago I was wondering why we broke up in the first place, but I think I remember now."

Now Nancy felt horrible. Ned looked like he was really upset and turned around to leave Nancy's office. "Ned, I'm sorry. You know how I get when I'm on a case. I-"

"Nancy, I'm going to go home. Don't worry about it. Just work on the case, and if I think of anything, you'll be the first to know." Ned said softly. Just as he was about to walk through the door, he turned around and said "Nancy, I was starting to fall in love with you again, and you don't even seem interested."

"Ned, that's not true at all! I-"

Ned walked out of the room and Nancy fell back into her chair. "I love you." She whispered.

Knowing that she wasn't going out to dinner, Nancy decided to keep her mind occupied by working on the mystery. 10 minutes later the phone rang.

"Hello? Nikki Lester from Save the Date Wedding Planners speaking." Nancy said politely.

"If you want the stolen money, come to Sunset Avenue in Mapleton in a half hour. Know where that is?" A voice told Nancy roughly.

"Ye-yes." Nancy said in a surprised tone. She knew the address because Ned lived right around the corner from the meeting place.

The voice sounded like a woman who was trying to make her voice sound deeper. She didn't recognize it. "Good. Be there if you want the money." The voice said before the line went dead.

Nancy hung the phone up shakily. She knew she shouldn't meet the person alone from past experiences, but she couldn't think of anyone to ask to come with her. Ned was mad at her, Bess was out on a date with her fiancé, and George was skiing in Canada. Nancy had to go alone.

She cleaned up the office and locked the building up. Nancy hopped into her car and droved to Mapleton. She parked a block from the meeting place and walked down to where she was supposed to meet the theft.

"Hello?" Nancy called. "Is anyone he-"Nancy was cut off when something cold and had hit her head, and all she saw was black.

NDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDN

"Nan, Nancy please wake up." Someone whispered, holding her hand.

Nancy slowly opened her eyes and saw Ned leaning over her with concern in his eyes.

"Ugh." Nancy said weakly. "Ned? What happened?"

"Shhh," Ned replied "Don't worry about it now. We need to get you to the hospital."

"But the voice-and the money…they got away…" Nancy whispered closing her eyes again."

"Nan, please stay awake. I'm going to drive you to the hospital-"

Nancy cut him off. "No! Please Ned. I'm fine really…" she said in a slightly stronger tone. "Do-do you still hate me?"

Ned pulled her closer in his arms. "Oh, no, no, no! I never hated you Nancy! I was just frustrated…you mean the world to me."

"I love you Ned." Nancy whispered, burying her face in his chest.

"I love you too, Nancy." Ned said gently. Then seeing that Nancy had passed out again, he gently placed her in the back seat of his car and drove her to the hospital. As he looked back to quickly check on her during the way there, Ned chuckled silently. _Something's never change_. He thought.

**Author Note:** I hope you like this chapter! I was pretty happy with how it turned out. Please review! Oh and just a reminder, I'm leaving for vacation on Friday, July 25, and won't have any internet access. I'll try to update again before then!


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

The next day, Nancy woke up confused with a throbbing headache. Ned was in a chair besides her holding her hand.

"Ned?" Nancy asked weakly. "Where am I?"

Ned stood up and engulfed her in a hug. "The hospital." He whispered. "You have a concussion and a broken leg from when you were hit over the head. You must have fallen down hard. How do you feel?"

Ned ran his fingers over Nancy's cheek. "I have a horrible headache and everything looks a little bit blurry. Thanks for staying here with me." Nancy responded, closing her eyes.

"No problem, Nan. I'm just glad you're okay." He said softly. "I'm going to get the doctor. Just relax, okay?"

Nancy tried to nod, but winced. "Okay." She whispered. She knew that she was in no condition to leave the hospital, let alone investigate, but she had to solve the case. She didn't want to waste any more time.

The door opened, and a doctor and Ned came walking in. "Hello Miss. Drew. How are you doing?"

Nancy repeated the same thing she had just told Ned, but added "I'm fine though, really. I think I can leave today."

The doctor chuckled "This young man was right," he said, gesturing to Ned. "He told me that you were going to try and get out of here, but I'm afraid that we're going to have to keep you at least another day."

Nancy groaned. "But I have to leave!"

The doctor looked through his charts. "I'm afraid you can't Nancy. You have a very severe concussion, and we may need to do surgery on your leg."

Nancy sighed, and reluctantly agreed. The doctor left and Ned walked up to Nancy. She sat on the side of the bed and wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm sorry about yesterday, Nancy. I shouldn't have left you, I was just frustrated. It's all my fault that-"

Nancy cut him off. "No, it's not your fault, Ned. If I was less stubborn and pigheaded, I wouldn't be in this position. I-I don't want to loose you Ned. I love you."

Ned smiled and leaned down to give her a quick kiss. "I love you too my stubborn, pigheaded detective."

NDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDN

That night, Nancy went home. She was still not feeling better, but she wasn't going to let it stop her.

"I still don't know how you talked that doctor into letting you go home, Nan!" Ned exclaimed.

Nancy laughed. "It the Drew charm. It runs in the family." She teased.

Ned shook his head and grinned. "You always could talk me into doing things I didn't want to do."

"Yeah, but you have to admit you liked being a detective." Nancy replied playfully.

"Yeah, but that was only because I got to spend time with you." Ned said sweetly.

Nancy blushed. "You are so corny, Nickerson."

"So what?" Ned teased. "You know you love it!"

Nancy stopped and wrapped the arm that wasn't in a cast around Ned's neck. "Now that you're right about." She murmured, leaning up to meet Ned's lips in a kiss.

The pair stood there for a few moments, kissing each other with passion and love. Finally, they broke apart.

"Wow." Nancy said breathlessly. "I haven't had a kiss like that since we broke up."

Ned rested his forehead on hers. "I know. Man, I missed you Drew."

"I missed you too, Nickerson. Do you know how many dates I turned down because all I wanted was to be with you?" Nancy replied gazing into Ned's eyes.

Ned leaned down to kiss her again. "I love you so much Nan."

"I love you too, Ned." She whispered, tears filling up her eyes. "I don't ever want to be without you again."

"You won't have to be, Nancy," He whispered, "Because I plan on being around for a long time."

Nancy smiled. This was the fairy-tale ending she as looking for. Now all she had to do was find the person stealing the money from the weddings.

**Author Note:** Again, I'm sorry it's short! I thought it fit into the story and said what needed to be said. Please review! I really appreciate them!! : )


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"Hi Sweetheart." A voice purred into the telephone.

Ned immediately recognized it as Gabriella. "Gabriella, we are not together anymore. Please stop calling me that. Do you need something?"

"Oh, Ned. I am _so_ sorry. Forgive me?" she said in a fake voice.

"No and please stop calling me." Ned said quietly. "I have to go to practice. Goodbye Gabriella."

"FINE! If that is how you want to be, so be it. Go protect your precious _Nancy Drew_; you never know what might happen." Gabriella said in a gruff voice. She didn't give Ned a chance to respond and hung up.

Ned shot up from where he was sitting and ran to his car. Gabriella had to be involved in this mystery somehow, and Ned had a feeling she wasn't going to stop at anything. Even murder.

He speed down the highway to the wedding planning office, and sprinted into the building.

"Whoa speed racer." Nancy said playfully when Ned ran into her. "Were you that anxious to see me?" she teased.

Nancy had a playful glint in her eyes and Ned couldn't help but wonder why he had let such a gorgeous, smart-- _what was he doing? He was supposed to protect her!_

"Nan, you are coming to my house _now_." He said seriously.

Nancy nodded at the tone in his voice. She realized that something was either wrong or he had a break through in the case.

They rushed to Ned's car after gathering Nancy's things and began to drive to Ned's apartment.

"What's up Ned?" Nancy asked, interlacing her hand with his.

"Gabriella is involved somehow in this mystery somehow and" Ned sighed. "She inadvertently warned me that something bad might happen to you." He finished softly.

Nancy wasn't surprised that Gabriella was playing a part in the theft. "I'm sure nothing bad will happen to me Ned. She was probably just trying to scare you." She said gently.

Ned pulled into his driveway and turned the car off. He turned towards Nancy and placed his hand on her cheek. "I know, "he said giving her a small smile. "But I don't want anything to happen to you. The other day, when I saw you unconscious…Nan, I love you too much to let anything hurt you."

Nancy turned away suddenly. He had said those words to her so many times in the past, and yet_ he_ was the one who ended up hurting her the most. "It never stopped you before." She whispered.

Ned saw tears running down her face. "What are you talking about Nancy? I've always cared about-"

"If you cared, you wouldn't have broken my heart all those years ago. You-_you wouldn't have proposed to another girl_." Nancy said softly, finally looking into his eyes. "You promised me when you proposed to me, when I was 18 that I was going to be the first person you proposed and the last. Did that mean anything to you?"

Ned leaned down and kissed her. "What do you think?" he asked softly. "Fate worked its magic. I think that promise is going to be kept if you agree."

Nancy took his hand "Are you hinting at a proposal Nickerson?" She asked smiling a little.

Ned grinned and opened his door. "I guess you're going to have to stick around and see for yourself, huh?"

He ran inside and Nancy hobbled after him. She finally caught up to him after limping all over his apartment and she jumped on his back. He spun her around and threw her one the couch. She held on to his shirt, causing Ned to fall on top of her, being careful of her leg. After having another laughing fit, Nancy reluctantly calmed down and said, "Ned, I think we better work on the case, which would require you to get off of me."

Ned grinned "I kinda like this position, Nan. I don't think I'm going to get up."

"Well, Neddie, what if I give you a kiss?" Nancy asked in her best Gabriella voice.

Ned gave her a dramatic sigh. "Oh, fine." Ned said mockingly. "But you have to promise to _never_ call me Neddie again."

Nancy pulled Ned's head down gently and kissed him. "It's a deal Nickerson. Now let's get back to that case."

**Author Note: **Sorry for the long delay! This is pretty much just a filler chapter, but I hope you enjoy it. Please Read and Review!


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"Nan," Ned said in a tired voice. "You have to take a break. Let's get some sleep, it's 3:30 in the morning."

Nancy yawned. "But I still haven't found a clue or anything…."

Ned scooped her up in his arms. "You are going to bed now even if I have to personally carry you to the bed and watch you fall asleep." He said softly.

"Fine." Nancy murmured, burying her face in his chest. "But only because I love you."

Ned grinned. "I love you too, Nance. Now let's get some rest."  
Nancy clung to Ned "Can you carry me upstairs, I'm too tired to use my

crutches."

Ned chuckled. "And you wanted to stay up. Okay, up you go."

Nancy giggled as Ned lifted her up and spun around. She loved being

with him so much.

Ned walked upstairs to Nancy's room and placed an already sleeping Nancy on her bed. He too was tired and decided to lay down with her. He wrapped an arm around her and whispered "I love you Nancy Drew, more than you will ever know.

NDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDN

The next morning Nancy woke up to someone kissing her neck. She rolled over to come face to face with Ned.

"What are you doing here?" Nancy mumbled into his chest.

Ned grinned. "What? Am I not wanted?" he teased.

Nancy looked up and Ned gently pushed his lips to hers. "Nah, I think I'll keep you." Nancy said playfully.

They got out of bed and began to get ready for the day. Nancy wanted to finish this case out once and for all, not only because she wanted to stop more money from being stolen, but also because she wanted more time with Ned. They needed to catch up and discuss their relationship.

Suddenly Nancy had an idea. _Why didn't I think of this before?_ She thought to herself.

"Ned! I have a breakthrough!"

NDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDN

The couple rushed to the bank where Nancy worked her Drew charm. They were able to get the "name" of the person who took the checks out of the bank.

"Elizabeth Eldnik." Ned said out loud. "Why does that name sound so familiar?"

Nancy sighed. "I have no idea. It's probably just a-"

Ned cut her off suddenly. "I got it!"

Nancy felt the excitement building up inside her, and she hoped that it paned out. "Well, are you going to tell me anytime soon? I'm ready to burst!" Nancy said dramatically.

Ned grinned and put his arm around her. "Well, I have a feeling that you are going to like who's behind the missing wedding money."

Nancy gave Ned a light punch on the arm. "Who is it?"

"Well, Elizabeth is Gabriella's middle name, and Eldnik is Kindle spelled backwards so I would think that it has to be-"

"Gabriella! Ned you're a genius!" Nancy exclaimed.

Ned smiled and kissed her nose. "Yeah I know." He teased.

Nancy decided to give Ned a little taste of his own medicine. "So Ned," She said draping her arms around Ned's neck. "Whatever can I do to repay you for figuring out such a big part of this mystery?" She finished her lips just centimeters apart from Ned's.

"I can think of a few things." Ned replied huskily. He leaned in and just when his lips grazed Nancy's, she hopped out of his arms and limped down the corridor.

"Maybe later Nickerson! We have a thief to catch!" Nancy called back in a teasing voice.

Ned chuckled and ran after her. Same old Nancy.

**Author's Note: **The next chapter will be the confrontation of the thief. I will try to update soon! Thanks to saphiretwin369 for leaving me my only review! Please read and review! I really appreciate your reviews!


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"Hi Cara," Ned said. It was the next day and he and Nancy were at the dance studio that the Chicago Bears cheerleaders used to workout. They both wanted to wrap up the case.

"Oh hey Ned! Are you looking for Gab? You know I don't know how she ended up with you. You're so nice and she's just a- never mind. I'll go get her." Cara responded.

Ned flushed. "Um, Gabriella and I aren't together anymore, but I do need

to see her."

Cara grinned. "So now that she's out of the way…why don't you and I-"  
Nancy couldn't take anymore of this. She cut Cara off. "Yeah, well I'm _not_ out of the way." She said quickly.

Cara looked at Nancy for the first time with surprise. "Oh, I didn't see you there." She mumbled. She then turned back to Ned. ""Come on. I'll get Gabriella."

Ned wrapped his arm around Nancy's shoulders and leaned down to whisper into her ear. "Jealous much?" he teased.

Nancy punched his arm. "You wish, Nickerson." She said playfully, but realized that there was some truth in his words.

"Gabriella! You have visitors!" Cara yelled out to Gabriella who was practicing a routine.

"Who is- ugh. What do you guys want?" Gabriella said rudely.

Nancy stepped forward. "Gabriella, or should I say Elizabeth Eldnik, we need to talk to you."

Gabriella's faced paled. "Wh-what are you talking about?" she asked shakily.

"I think you know what, Gabriella. Do you want to make it easier on yourself and just come clean?" Ned said harshly. Nancy was surprised, she had only heard Ned talk in that tone once before and that was when he broke up with her.

Gabriella bust out crying. "Please don't let this get out." She begged.

"Why should we keep it quiet?" Nancy asked softly.

"Because, I-I can't lose this job." Gabriella whimpered.

Nancy almost felt sorry for the girl who was crying in front of her. She was no longer looking at an opinionated woman who was rude and high maintenance, but a girl who was scared and vulnerable. "Gabriella, maybe you'd like to explain the whole thing to me?"

She sighed. "It started some time ago. Cheerleaders don't exactly make the same mount of money that the players make. And we're stereotyped. I mean, I'm not some dumb airhead that everyone thinks I am. So I decided to do something to make me look like I was strong and smart. I guess I took it too far."

A half hour later, after Gabriella had explained everything and given back the money she hadn't already spent, the police came and took her away. Gabriella wasn't clear on if there was any accomplices or not, but it seemed like she was trying to protect someone or some people. The whole squad would have to be interviewed, but Nancy was relieved that the police had promised that to take care of the rest of the case. She had done her job, and while she would usually finish the whole case before backing down, she was willing to let it go this time. She wanted to prove to Ned that she would pay more attention to him and wouldn't take him for granted. They also needed the time to talk things out and work on their relationship.

NDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDN

"So Nan, are you glad that this case is over?" Ned asked. They were walking in the park hand in hand.

Nancy smiled. "Very glad…but Ned we need to talk about us."

Ned grinned and leaned down to kiss her. When they pulled apart he whispered, "What is there to talk about?"

Author's Note: That's it! I hope you enjoyed it and will leave me reviews on your thoughts! I'm unsure on whether to write a sequel, so let me know about that as well! :)


End file.
